how rare are the 1.4 16v's?

Pimpy · Post by **Pimpy** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:43 pm

Right i have been talking to a friend of my wife who is into VW's and knows more about them then i do he told me that the 1.4 16v's are quite hard to get hold of.Is this true or is it just a case of keep looking?
I've really set my heart on one and will be gutted if it's gonna take an age to get one (i am a really impatient bugger)
cheers for any help lee

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:52 pm

theyre rare compared to corsas

try autotrader.... theres quite a few on there

KITT · Post by **KITT** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:55 pm

Well, Autotrader is listing only 65 VW Polo 1.4 16v's in the whole country. I've only ever seen one other whilst on my travels. So yes, they're quite rare (which is good as I have one

)

DScape · Post by **DScape** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:56 pm

Yeah they are, when people have a polo they tend not to want to get rid of them EVER....just because they'll keep going on forever!

Was bloody hard finding mine, and thats only a 1.3L !

Within the right price, obv. !

99 · Post by 99 » Tue Aug 16, 2005 6:39 pm

I suppose they're fairly rare, but that's part of the attraction isn't it? They're well worth waiting for too in my opinion, but maybe I'm a little biased...

Pimpy · Post by **Pimpy** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:48 pm

yea i've seen a few on autotrader but hey are all about 200 miles away from me.There was one about 10 miles from me last week which would have been perfect but it was sold and the funds for the car don't clear till thursday sods law i guess the nearest one to me is in red which is the one colour i wouldn't have as i don't like red cars

oh well guess i had best get ready for a long wait

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:05 pm

Just be patient if it's possible.

I was semi-lucky - only 4 were for sale within 60 miles 18 months ago, and only one was low miles. I eventually got mine with 27k on the clock and on a V plate, but I only just got it - the garage had sold it to another trader but managed to get it back for me - and I got 600 off the asking price.

They're not rare, just pretty difficult to come-by on the 2nd hand market (it's not the same thing!)

You will easily find one if you're prepared to wait. G40's are rare, but there are always some for sale on the forums.

When I come to sell mine, I really hope the demand is still there in the modified market - I don't want to take all the mods off the car!

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:26 am

they aren't as common as the 1.4 8v's as they were quite expensive when they were new

i paid Â£13k for mine in 1999 when i got it brand new from the dealers

the thing is that its hard to find a decent one

many ppl just use them as a normal car ( which they are) and never take care of them

so yes its hard to find a 16v and even harder to find one in good condition

Pimpy · Post by **Pimpy** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:40 am

which leads me onto the next question what is the perforamance difference between the 16v and 8v? I only need it to go to work and back mainly on country roads that i never get above 80 on anyway so i'm thinking that maybe i don't need a 16v and an 8v will do the job just as well.Argh i just don't know i had a 1.4 16v lupo out last night and it went like the clappers for a little car.All i know is a want VW but to go for the lupo or the polo is the question

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 9:56 am

completely different driving styles and performance between the two.

the 8v is nice and torquey, a bit of low down grunt makes it easy to drive and not too bad off the lights either, but it runs out of steam easily, and above 4000rpm it is awful. a nice motorway car tho - they cruise at 3500rpm all day at about 80mph.

the 16v still has the low down torque and is probably very similar to the 8v up to about 3500rpm, but past 4500rpm the lilttle 16v motors really fly - I mean really fly - they have shorter gear ratios and that lets you use the revs all the time.

they have different gearboxes through the life of the 16v. If you can I would get one with the longer ratio gearbox - 4000rpm is 75 in the 16v I have, and it's a fag on the motorways.

If I were young I'd get the 1.6 8v, the 16v if I could afford the insurance, and the 1.4 8v if I wanted cheap motoring.

KITT · Post by **KITT** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:42 pm

david burton wrote:the 16v still has the low down torque and is probably very similar to the 8v up to about 3500rpm, but past 4500rpm the lilttle 16v motors really fly - I mean really fly - they have shorter gear ratios and that lets you use the revs all the time.

Know what you mean

My dad borrowed mine whilst I was changing the head gasket on his Volvo and he loved it. Said the engine begs you to rev it and I agree

david burton wrote:they have different gearboxes through the life of the 16v. If you can I would get one with the longer ratio gearbox - 4000rpm is 75 in the 16v I have, and it's a fag on the motorways.

This is the one problem with the 16v. It's good for overtaking but you always think you're in too high a gear. Need's 6th for motorways really. However, the ratios are nice a short, with a good gap between them allowing you to keep the revs up when on a charge cross country. I enjoy blatting down Cheddar Gorge in mine

Pimpy · Post by **Pimpy** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:53 pm

well guys thanks for the help and advice but i went for a lupo 1.4 16v only one in the country for sale in the autotrader and it was only 15 miles down the road so i snapped it up.

at least it's still VW

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 5:07 pm

good stuff - if you can put up with the smaller car then go for it